Council approves purchase of new pumper and ambulance; chiefs emphasize warranties and delivery delays

The Warwick Finance Committee recommended and the full council approved two fire-department equipment purchases after department testimony about warranties, long supplier lead times and efforts to minimize life-cycle costs.

Pumper: The council approved awarding the bid for a 1,500-gallon-per-minute pumper to Greenwood Emergency Vehicles (Attleboro, Mass.) for $896,939. The department said the price covers the complete delivered package, including lettering, lights and sirens, and the manufacturer committed to delivery no later than 36 months after contract signing. Chief Peter McMichael and department staff told councilors they require galvanized frame rails on pumpers to avoid frame-rail rot, a chronic issue on older apparatus, and that warranty durations vary (general warranty one year/24,000 miles; 25-year frame-rail protection; electrical warranty one year/18,000 miles). The recommended award was the lowest compliant bid; the next bidder was roughly $136,000 higher, the chief said.

Ambulance: The council also approved awarding the Type 1 ambulance bid to Northeast Rescue Vehicles of Syracuse, N.Y., for $386,545. Department representatives said that company’s vehicle was offered as a stock unit (not custom-built), which reduced both cost (about $47,000 less than the next bidder) and delivery time (about 279 days). The price includes the Stryker power-load stretcher and lettering; the stretcher hardware carries a separate manufacturer warranty through Stryker.

Procurement and delivery context: Chief McMichael and council members discussed long delivery lead times across the fire-service market and said they must plan purchases several years ahead. The chief described the department’s strategy of maintaining a small reserve fleet, buying used apparatus when appropriate, and specifying higher-quality components to increase equipment longevity and reduce maintenance costs. Council members pressed on warranty-mileage triggers, GPS tracking, and the fiscal implications of long lead times; the chief said price lock on contract signing helps manage budget predictability.

Funding: The purchases were funded through the city’s lease-purchase account (account 4990450) as one-time capital items. The purchases were on the meeting’s bid package and progressed through the Finance Committee to the council consent calendar.

Outcome: Bid awards were recommended by the committee and approved by the council as part of the bid package.